Hockey stick gauge

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a gauge for hockey sticks which may be used to determine whether the curvature of the hockey stick exceeds the regulations and which also may be used to determine if the width of the blade of the hockey stick or goaler&#39;&#39;s stick exceeds the minimum width or maximum width allowed by the regulations.

iltiit Stats aten I 1 Lawson Se t. 2 11975 [54] HOCKEY STICK GAUGE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor: Thomas Lawson, Ottawa, Canada 15,751 7/1903 United Kingdom 33/174 0 [73] Assigneez Canadian Amateur Hockey 133,851 6/1929 Switzerland 33/168 R Association, Ottawa, Canada Primary Examiner-R1chard E. Aegerter Filed: 9, 1973 Assistant Examiner-Richard R. Steams [2]] Appl. No: 414,339 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cushman, Darby &

'Cushman [30] Foreign Application Priority Data 57] ABSTRACT O t. 3, 1973 C d 18255] 6 am a Thls mventlon relates to a gauge for hockey stlcks U S U 33/174 33/174 G which may be used to determine whether the curva- [sl] 3/14 [5163b 71/00 ture of the hockey stick exceeds the regulations and [58] Fie'ld 33/174 R G 168 R which also may be used to determine if the width of the blade of the hockey stick or goalers stick exceeds 56] References Cited the minimum width or maximum width allowed by the UNITED STATES PATENTS regulanons' 422,033 2/1890 Wisley 33/107 R 4 Clams 3 Drawmg a 2 1s IIIIIIII 'II'I ll llll ll'l ll Ylllllvlll'l' lllllllll ll 'lllll'lll lllll'lllllllil lllllll lllllll ll llllll'lll 12 3 4 5 .8 91011121314 15 Q HOCKEY STICK GAUGE Q i 'fi-f GOAL s'ncx GAUGE AX MIN 3'4 MAX 4'4 HOCKEY STELK GAUGE This invention relates to a gauge for hockey sticks to enable players, coaches and referees to quickly and easily determine if hockey sticks comply with the rules of organized hockey.

For many years hockey sticks had a slight curvature from the heel of the hockey stick to the end of the blade. This curvature was in the order of one-eighth of an inch for both right and left handed sticks. Some players used sticks which were substantially without any curvature from the heel to the toe of the blade and such sticks were referred to as neutral.

About years ago some players began experimenting with the blades of their hockey sticks creating a very sharp bend in the blade of the stick in the order of two or more inches. Hockey sticks having these very sharp curves in the blade became popular with many players and hockey sticks having these curves became popularly known as curved sticks. Curved sticks enabled players who were proficient with them to project the puck on forehand shots with certain types of spin such that the puck would drop or rise in a manner which could not be achieved with the standard blade. Further, depending on the sharpness of the curvature near the tip of the blade the puck when projected would take different angles of flight when leaving the players stick. A puck shot with the same motion by a stick having a sharp three inch curvature near the top of the blade would take a different angle of flight than a puck projected from a stick having a neutral blade. The curvatures made it difficult for goaltenders to judge the flight of a puck projected from a hockey stick as the flight of the puck was determined to a considerable extent by the curvature of the blade of the individual player projecting the puck. The difficulty in determining the flight ofthe puck resulted in injuries to goaltenders and other players.

In order to provide some standardization in equipment used by all players and to provide greater certainty in determining the flight of the puck the c-urva ture of hockey stick blades has been restricted to blades in which the distance of a perpendicular line measured from a straight line drawn from anypoint at the heel to the end of the blade to the point of maximum curvature shall not exceed one-half inch.

Other measurements which relate to hockey sticks involve the width of the blade of player's sticks and the width of the blade of goaltenders sticks. Players sticks must have a minimum width from bottom to top at each point of the blade of two inches and a maximum width from bottom to top at each point of the blade of 3 inches. Goaltenders sticks must have a maximum width from bottom to top of the blade at each point of the blade of 3 inches except at the heel Where there is a maximum width of 4 inches allowed.

The length of a blade ofa player's hockey stick from heel to end of the blade must not exceed 12%: inches. A goaltenders stick blade must not exceed inches in length from the heel to the end of the blade.

()ther limits on goaltenders equipment include limits on the width of goaltcndcrs pads which must not exceed it) inches in extreme width when on the leg of the goaltender. The protective padding attached to the back or forming part of the goalkecpers gloves shall not exceed 8 inches in width nor more than 16 inches in length at any point.

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It is desirable to have a gauge which will enable players. coaches and referees to quickly and accurately determine if a hockey player or goaltenders equipment meets the regulations and following is a description of such a gauge.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the hockey stick gauge.

FIG. 2 is an elevation view of the hockey stick gauge.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the hockey stick gauge.

Referring to FIG. ll there is shown a hockey stick gauge ll of flat configuration. The gauge is 16 inches from end to end as shown by the increments 2 on the top edge 3 of the hockey stick gauge 1. The bottom edge of the hockey stick gauge 1 is comprised of four slots 5, 6, 7 and 8. The first slot 5 is 2 inches, the second slot 6 is 3 inches, the third slot 7 is 3V2 inches and the fourth slot 8 is 4% inches. The four slots 5, 6, 7 and 8 are bounded by dividers I0, 11, l2, l3 and 14 which are each one-half inch in width.

As seen in FIG. 2 the hockey stick guide 1 includes a ridge 15 having a base 16 of one-half inch and tapering upwardly to a rounded top 17 having a radius of 0.187 inches. The distance from the base 16 of the ridge to the apex 18 of the rounded top 17 is onc-half inch.

Referring to FIG. 3 the hockey stick guide is seen to include four parallel strengthening ribs 19, 20, 21 and 22 extending lengthwise along the hockey stick guide. The perimeter of the dividers 10, ll, l2, l3 and I4 and ends of the hockey stick guide 1 are likewise surrounded by strengthening ribs 23. These hockey stick guides are molded in a conventional manner from plastic.

In order to determine if the blade of a hockey stick exceeds the one-half inch curvature allowed the blade is placed face downwardly on the hockey stick gauge 1 with the heel in contact with the surface of the hockey stick gauge 1 and a portion of the face of the blade in contact with ridge 15. The blade is then moved forwardly and backwardly over ridge l5 and if the top and heel of the blade both contact the hockey stick gauge 1 at any time the blade is contrary to regulations. To determine if a players stick meets the regulations the blade is inserted in slot 6 which is 3 inches wide and the blade must be moveable backwardly and forwardly through the slot. If the blade will not fit into the slot or move backwardly and forwardly through the slot the blade exceeds the maximum size allowed. If any part of the blade fits into slot 5 which is two inches wide the blade is below minimum requirements and fails to meet the regulations governing the minimum size of players sticks.

The goaltenders stick is inserted in slot 7 which is three and one-half inches wide and must be moveable backwards and forwards through slot 7 to comply with the regulations on the width ofgoaltenders blades. Slot 8 which is 4 inches is used to check the width of the heel of the goaltcndcrs stick. The heel of the goaltenders stick must fit within slot 8 or it exceeds the regulations.

The length of hockey sticks, width of goaltenders pads and goaltender's protectors on or attached to the back of the goaltenders glove can all be checked against increments 2 to determine if the sticks or equip ment meet the regulations.

I claim:

l. A hockey stick gauge comprising a generally rectangular elongated member having a flat upper face, and means for measuring different widths of hockey stick blades, the flat upper face having an elongated ridge extending substantially the width of the gauge, said ridge having a height corresponding to the maximum curvature desired in the blade of the hockey stick.

2. The hockey stick gauge of claim 1 wherein the ridge is one-half of an inch in height.

3. The hockey stick gauge of claim 2 in which the means for measuring different widths of hockey stick blades comprises slots in one edge of the hockey stick gauge.

4. A hockey stick gauge comprising a generally rectangular elongated member having a flat upper face and a plurality of slots providing standards of measure for minimum and maximum widths for hockey stick blades, said flat upper face including indicia which divide one edge of the hockey stick gauge into 16 inches, an elongated ridge extending substantially the width of the gauge on said flat upper face. said ridge having a height of one half inch. and said slots being constituted by slots of 2 inches, 3 inches. 3 /2 inches and 4 inches in length formed in the opposite edge of the gauge from said indicia. 

1. A hockey stick gauge comprising a generally rectangular elongated member having a flat upper face, and means for measuring different widths of hockey stick blades, the flat upper face having an elongated ridge extending substantially the width of the gauge, said ridge having a height corresponding to the maximum curvature desired in the blade of the hOckey stick.
 2. The hockey stick gauge of claim 1 wherein the ridge is one-half of an inch in height.
 3. The hockey stick gauge of claim 2 in which the means for measuring different widths of hockey stick blades comprises slots in one edge of the hockey stick gauge.
 4. A hockey stick gauge comprising a generally rectangular elongated member having a flat upper face and a plurality of slots providing standards of measure for minimum and maximum widths for hockey stick blades, said flat upper face including indicia, which divide one edge of the hockey stick gauge into 16 inches, an elongated ridge extending substantially the width of the gauge on said flat upper face, said ridge having a height of one half inch, and said slots being constituted by slots of 2 inches, 3 inches, 3 1/2 inches and 4 1/2 inches in length formed in the opposite edge of the gauge from said indicia. 